Ballmer Discusses European Market,
Company's New 'Dot-Net' Initiative

When Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told analysts in July that the company was set on a growth path, the question was simply, "How quickly?"

There had been a few bumps on the road, after all. The company reported consensus-beating quarterly earnings last week, but there were some soft spots, including European revenue, which slumped more than 8% from the year before. All New Economy stocks -- including Microsoft's -- have been sagging of late. And the company has a massive legal problem, in the...